AAA

February 16, 2013

The Auckland Harbour Bridge Skypath seems to be gaining momentum under political and public advocacy from getacross.org.nz

Aucklander’s are hungry for a pedestrian lifestyle, but carefully lobbied land use patterns have sent Auckland down a direction counter to this. A pedestrian lifestyle is not walking a dog around suburban streets, its a lifestyle in which your legs play a primary role in transport.

The Skybridge will enable your legs to deliver you across the harbour, with trips likely to be tolled to foot the $31 million dollar bill.

The suggested $2 toll for hop card users opens up the privaledge of a healthy pedestrian lifestyle to those within a comfortable catchment area of the bridge. It may bring thousands of houses within the catchment area to a walkable or cycle-able distance to the city centre, but how many of those households have keen cyclists who work in that same radius.

The encapsulating skin will provide shelter from the wind and rain, and no doubt keep people from taking a dive off it, while glass sections should permit a continuous panorama of views along the journey.

It would be very interesting to see how stop off areas have been treated. From the external render it seems there are 3 of these areas per side, which look generous in size.

Should funding go well, it would be great to be able to cycle to work and stop off in a bay on the Skypath to take in the view.

Published by Alastair Mckenzie | Shared Thoughts are the views as written by the Author, not of the AAA.

2 Comments

Renelle Gronert

HB history shows it was to have been built in the 1930’s, but wasn’t until 1959. Lets not be so slow this time to advance improved connection opportunity linking the North Shore and Auckland city – and beyond.

For Auckland to become one of the worlds future sustainable and desirable places to live, progressive design that reduces carbon emissions is absolutely needed!! Other cities are working on increased and safe cycling – so can Auckland. Let’s be one of the leaders, and not delay this any longer.

This addition needs to be actively funded for very needed traffic reduction in Auckland enabling freedom to chose a travel mode between the city and the North Shore, and for personal fitness.

Australia are really going ahead with shared path cycle-ways, including bridges over railways and rivers in and around Melbourne where they are trending to recycled plastic.
I wont name the brand but can submit more information if requested.
They have had great reviews from user groups and councils alike.
this could be considered for the shared path here too.